“Greener” profiles Appleton Coated’s growing sustainability, summarizing five years of progress in this 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR). Published in May 2012, “Greener” details Appleton Coated’s commitment to environmental responsibility and its goals for the future. It is available in print or as a digital download from www.AppletonCoated.com.

“We cannot control the economic recovery, but we can continue to improve the sustainability of Appleton Coated – environment, economy and community,” says Appleton Coated Chief Executive Officer Sandra Van Ert. “I have witnessed our determination and talent in the past, and I know this: The Appleton Coated family has what it takes to meet these challenges.”

Regarding the 2011 CSR, she adds, “Each number is more than a metric; it’s a reflection of enormous dedication and effort from our people. Being sustainable includes finding new opportunities as technology and customer needs change.

A highlight of its 2011 CSR notes that the company significantly increased the non-fossil fuel sources used to produce its paper. “In 2011, 29.2% of the total energy used to produce our paper came from alternative energy. This is up from 6.7%,” explains Ann Whalen, Appleton Coated’s senior vice president, marketing and customer service. “We have steadily increased our use of biomass to replace coal, and have grown our purchases of renewable electricity, primarily from wind power.”

The company also minimizes its carbon footprint with respect to transportation. For the past two years, 99% of Appleton Coated’s outbound freight has shipped through U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partner carriers. SmartWay Transport is a voluntary partnership between various freight industry sectors and the EPA that establishes incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Partners commit to measure and improve the efficiency of their freight operations, using EPA-developed tools that quantify the benefits of a number of fuel-saving strategies.

Other statistics and trends Appleton Coated shares in “Greener” include:
* The growing percentage of total “green” coated paper sales that are Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) (FSC® C007796) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®) chain-of-custody products;
* The percentage of total fiber comprised of post-consumer recovered fiber (PCRF);
* The total energy expended per ton of product;
* The total tons of waste sent to landfill;
* The total pounds of discharge into water and gallons of water into waste treatment;
* The total pounds of emissions into air;
* The declining percentage of OSHA incident rates and lost time incident rates;
* The hours invested in employees’ training and professional development;
* And at least a dozen more informative topics.

“Beyond our own environmental practices and reporting, independent verification is essential in the drive to become greener,” says Whalen. “Appleton Coated is proud to have met the ISO 14001 requirements for an effective environmental management system every year since 2007.”

Appleton Coated continues its active involvement as a member of “Two Sides.” This nonprofit organization started in Europe in 2008 to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, as well as to encourage its use as an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium. Appleton Coated was among those to help launch the initiative in the U.S. with support from the National Paper Trade Alliance (NPTA). Today, the organization has nearly 100 members from the graphic communications supply chain.

Recognizing the company’s leadership at a state level, the Green Masters Program of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council honored Appleton Coated as one of their Green Masters Award Companies in 2011.

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Filed under: Appleton Coated, CLIENT NEWS, Green Goals